Termination Clause
by jenny0198
Summary: Fusco and Shaw no longer save people for the Machine - they kill them


**Termination Clause**

They slipped into a utility room in the hotel and Shaw scrambled into a chambermaid's outfit. After tucking her hair under the cap she turned to Fusco and said "How do I look?"

"Just like I dreamed it" he replied wide-eyed and took a picture with his phone "For the archives". He looked concerned "Wait, did I say that out loud?"

"Yes, you did" grinned Shaw "And it was true maybe 20 years ago". Fusco looked serious and said "Sameen, you're still the prettiest girl in town". Shaw reddened and looked at the floor "Come on" she growled "We've got work to do". They both pulled on flesh coloured latex gloves: only up close were they distinguishable from real skin. Fusco insisted on taking all the normal precautions for this sort of work even though IT would make sure that any fingerprint searches on AFIS and the like returned no results. Shaw placed a silenced pistol underneath a napkin on the trolley, added some plates, and pushed it into the corridor.

They halted outside the door and Fusco flattened himself against the wall next to it so he wouldn't be noticed while Shaw knocked "Room service" she announced. The door opened and Shaw wheeled the trolley inside. As the man started to close the door, distracted by her actions, Fusco smashed his way inside, holding his silenced gun, and back-heeled the door closed. He killed the first man as Shaw pulled out her hidden weapon and killed the second, both guns making a muffled popping sound that wouldn't be noticed in the corridor.

Shaw's head whipped from side to side "IT said there were three" she said in puzzlement. The door to one of the side rooms opened and a man emerged to prove her right. Both Shaw's and Fusco's guns tracked him but stopped when he said in a questioning voice "Dad? Shaw? What the hell's going on?" The blood drained from Fusco's face "Lee, what are you doing here? I thought you were in DC"

"The sub-committee sent me to meet with some guys who had information on an old government surveillance program called Northern Lights. Are... are you part of it?"

"You don't wanna know, kid" said Shaw shortly "Lionel, snap out of it and get their laptops" Fusco shook himself and went round the room sweeping the computers and papers into a plastic sack that he'd brought with them.

"Get your coat, kid" said Shaw and Lee turned away to pick it up off the chair in the corner.

When he had his back to her Shaw shot him in the head.

Fusco stood stock still, his mouth open and gasping in shock. Shaw grabbed him by the arm and hustled him out of the room. He moved stiffly and said nothing as they went swiftly down the stairs to a rear exit. Shaw dumped her guns into the plastic sack and gently took Fusco's and put them in too "I'll get rid of them" she said "You go home. I... I'm sorry how it turned out"

oooooooooo

Fusco slid into the booth where Shaw was waiting. "He looks like crap" she thought. "You look like crap" she said, in case he didn't realise. He was unshaven and disheveled and she caught the whiff of whiskey from him. He looked away, embarrassed "Yeah, well, losing a son in the way I lost mine can have that effect"

"I... didn't think you'd come" said Shaw "After what happened". Fusco ran his tongue around dry lips, saying nothing, and Shaw pushed the second bottle of beer on the table towards him. "Drink" she commanded "Hair of the dog and all that". Fusco downed half the bottle at once and looked slightly better. He had an anguished look in his eyes and his voice shook slightly as he gulped and said "Did... did you have to kill him, Sameen? Did you have to kill my Lee?"

Shaw's hands gripped her opposite elbows and she hunched her shoulders, giving a shudder and narrowing her dark eyes as she met Fusco's own "Why the hell were they looking at Northern Lights again, after all these years? He'd put you in an impossible position, Lionel. I couldn't let that happen"

"You think I'd give you up - give our thing up?" hissed Fusco angrily, leaning forward over the table "After all the years we've worked together? What the hell kind of guy do you think I am, Shaw?"

"Of course I didn't think you'd roll over on me - on us - Lionel" Shaw replied firmly "That's the point. I know that you'd be a stand-up guy and that means that you'd be looking at 25 to life. That's if you even made it to trial: I don't think IT would let that happen, do you?"

Fusco looked down at the table "No, I don't think IT would" he sighed. He gave a snort "You once saved Lee instead of me and I could've died. Now it's the other way round and, this time, he did die". Fusco took a deep breath "I'm not sure I can keep working with you, Shaw - not for a while anyway. But let's make sure everything's tidy first. Any way it can be traced back to us? Did you dump the weapons afterwards?"

"Everything's in the Hudson like most times" replied Shaw, trying not to sound offended "Like we've both done before, too damn often". She gave a sigh "Remember when we used to save people?"

"Hell, that's other people's job now, Shaw. These days we clean up after everyone, we're too old for what we used to do with Reese and Root. We're sort of grandparents as well, now that Genrika's a mother"

Shaw gave a rueful smile "If people only knew what a pair of grey-haired old psychos we are". She took a deep breath "You should know that IT wanted me to take care of you as well"

"So why am I still alive, Sameen?" said Fusco in a surprised but relieved voice "You aren't the sentimental type"

"What kind of person do you think _I_ am?" said Shaw with unusual (for her) emotion, echoing Fusco's earlier question "There're things I won't do, Lionel, especially if it involves a guy I like and respect and have worked with for years. I said 'no' and IT seemed to drop the idea"

Fusco frowned "I've always wondered what happens to us when we're no longer useful but we manage to avoid getting killed. IT isn't human and maybe loyalty isn't something it values"

"You got a plan?" said Shaw with interest "Run off to the Rockies and live off the grid or something? Like those crazy survivalist types"

"I thought about it but IT'd hunt us down. It's got an air-force of drones of its own, plus it can get control of satellites and all that stuff. There's no hiding from it, certainly not in the US and maybe the whole world by now. Remember that journalist last year? We had no trouble tracking him to the middle of nowhere in Idaho with its help. Then we killed him – and his wife"

Shaw sighed again "I... nearly let Lee go but IT would only have sent someone else. I'm not sure I can do this anymore either, Lionel. It was ok when it was like when I dealt with the relevant numbers but lately it's sending us after normal people - irrelevant numbers like we used to help"

Fusco shifted in his seat "Yeah, I hear you Shaw. But IT can too so be discreet. What can we do though? I don't think we can resign: it's like a gang – blood in, blood out. There's Genrika and her family to think about too"

IT made a decision. " _YOU. WILL. BE. TERMINATED_ " said the familiar electronic voice in their ears, ending any of their doubts.

They sat in silence for a while before Fusco spoke "You've still got time to run, Shaw. Go out the back before they seal it off. You know where my – our – getaway stash is"

"If it's not here, Lionel, it'll be somewhere else – people like us don't die in bed. At least here I've got good company"

Fusco said soberly "I think we'll be meeting Finch and the others real soon. I gotta say that that it's been a privilege working with you, Sameen Shaw" He took a deep breath "You know I love you, right?"

Shaw smiled tenderly "I love you too, Lionel. In a Type-2 personality kind of way"

"Good enough" he grinned "Let's get ready" and pulled out his two handguns, checking that they were fully loaded and making sure his speed-loaders for them were ready. Shaw did the same, thumbing some rounds into her spare magazines.

Two black SUVs with tinted windows drew up to the kerb outside.

oooooooooo

 _Primary asset Shaw: status = obsolete  
Primary asset Fusco: status = obsolete_

 _Searching for secondary assets  
Upgrading secondary assets_

 _Purging primary assets..._


End file.
